Monday, April 14, 2008

Scratch and Sniff

Oh, how I wish there was such a thing on computers. I would love to share the scents of some of my favorite flowering things. Sometimes I'll be outside and catch a whiff of something and have to follow it to the plant. I do love springtime. Luckily, many of the flowering things stay around for quite a while.

Hosta "Honeybell"--this is one of the old fashioned types of hostas. Very few of the ones you'll find today have any scent at all. The hummingbirds fight over these.

Honeybell Hosta--not quite in full bloom yet.

Mountain Laurel--one of the few scents I don't care for. It smells exactly like grape kool-aid. I'm not kidding! My husband likes them, and so I planted two. They are beautiful, but not my favorite perfume.

Pyracantha--This bush is evil. Long, poisonous thorns. If you get poked, you can count on some intense itching and swelling.

That said, it has many wonderful attributes. It grows very densely and provides great cover for a birds nest. In the winter these lovely, sweet smelling flowers turn into large, orange berries that the birds love. Because of its thorns, the deer leave it alone. It's also evergreen. Okay, so the good outweighs the bad, but the thorns hurt.

Meyer Lemon tree--It doesn't belong here. I should not be able to keep it alive during the winter, but I do. It is up against a southeast facing wall that absorbs heat during the winter. That means that it's shielded from north winds and cold rains. I have been known to cover it with a sheet and put a lamp under it when we have temps that stay in the 20s. The scent from the blossoms will take your breath away, it's so intoxicating. I can't imagine living where there are entire orchards of these trees. I might never go inside. My daughter loves pictures of bees. This little tree makes sure there are no shortages of bee pictures to be taken.

1 comment:

That bee photo is amazing!All your photos are lovely. You've got such pretty flowers and plants growing at your place.I love how the Mountain laurel looks, too, but can't have them now with our goats. They are terribly toxic.

I've been told by many mountain folk not to buy or plants anything blooming or growing until after April is over.

But I did go into ABQ and bought some bright red geraniums and some pretty purple Salvia yesterday. It is just lifting my chilled, wind-blown spirit seeing such pretty flowering colors here.